ALLEN PARK, Mich. -- Detroit Lions owner Martha Ford has not spoken publicly, but on Thursday, coach Jim Caldwell said on his weekly radio appearance that she is not pleased with what happened in Seattle on Monday night.
"Don't think that Mrs. Ford is not upset," Caldwell told WWJ radio in response to why the franchise's front office has not said much publicly about the batted ball controversy at the end of Detroit's 13-10 loss to Seattle on Monday Night Football.
Caldwell said he thinks fans expected the Lions "to put out a public statement about how egregious that particular no-call was and all those kinds of things," but he said Ford chose to voice her displeasure at this week's owners meeting instead.
"Don't think that she doesn't tell them and give them a piece of her mind, because she's there at league meetings this week or yesterday, and without question, that's done. So we have protocol that we go through," he said.
The franchise's decision to handle things privately instead of blasting the league publicly follows Caldwell's mantra for most of the week of trying to move on from the situation, as the Lions prepare to play the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday afternoon.
ESPN.com made a request earlier this week to speak with Ford or vice chairman Bill Ford Jr. about the call and the season thus far, but neither one has been made available to the media.
This all started after Calvin Johnson fumbled on the 1-yard line with less than two minutes left Monday night after having the ball punched out by Seahawks safety Kam Chancellor. As the ball bounced around the end zone, linebacker K.J. Wright batted the ball out of the end zone.
The play was ruled a touchback and given to Seattle. After the game, NFL officiating czar Dean Blandino said the Lions should have maintained possession.
Lions team president Tom Lewand told USA Today at the league meetings in New York on Wednesday that he is "disappointed" with the call.
"It doesn't do us any good to comment on what might have happened, didn't happen or speculate," Lewand told USA Today. "It's not productive. Look, I'm as frustrated as any of our fans, and I can certainly understand their anger. But the thing they want most is for us to win.
"That's what we have to go about doing. Spending a lot of time looking in the rearview mirror doesn't help us win."
The Lions are 0-4, the only winless team left in the NFL this season.